What Kenyon Sadiq Said About Oregon's New Offensive Coordinator Says Everything

The Oregon Ducks underwent some coaching changes since the end of the regular season, including the promotion of tight ends coach Drew Mehringer to offensive coordinator. Kenyon Sadiq offered up an endorsing statement for the new offensive play caller.

Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq and reporter Bri Amaranthus

The Oregon Ducks got some time off after their win over Washington in the regular season finale. It was a moment for the Ducks to get healthy and prep for their upcoming College Football Playoff first-round game.

A John Mackey Award finalist, Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq understands the task at hand after being apart of last year's disappointing CFP exit for the Ducks.

Tight Ends Coach Promotion

Oregon Tight Ends coach Drew Mehringer during practice 2022. Eug 031222 Oregon Fb 07 | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Since the end of the regular season, the Ducks' coaching staff has undergone a few changes. Offensive coordinator Will Stein is slated to become the next head coach at Kentucky and replacing him will be tight ends coach Drew Mehringer.

“Mehringer has an impact on every bit of the offense. Him and Coach Stein do a great job. Mehringer is kind of like the glue in my mind,” Sadiq said. “ He’s done a phenomenal job you can tell by the amount of work he puts in. It’s awesome to see.”

Much-Needed Time Off

Sep 20, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) makes a reception Oregon State Beavers defensive back Tyrice Ivy Jr. (12) of the game at Autzen Stadium. Sadiq scored a touchdown on the play. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Sadiq said that the program used their time off to recharge before gearing back up to try and make a deep CFP run.

"It was good for everyone to get away for a second, clear their head, (and) come back and you feel fresh. When you get back in the scheme and you get back running again you start to feel fresh," Sadiq said." I think that's good for everyone."

The last time Oregon had a significant amount of time off was during their final bye week of the regular season on Nov. 1, which fell on week 10. Since then, the Ducks have had to play Minnesota, USC, Washington to close out the year.

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Carrying A Different Mindset

Aug 30, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Montana State Bobcats at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Last season, the Ducks played like one of the best teams in the country during the regular season, resulting in their 12-0 record heading into the 2024 CFP with a first-round bye, Subsequently, Oregon went one-and-done as they were knocked out in the quarterfinals

"Obviously the home environment will be great. We just got to attack it. We all know how it felt last year. Just a different mindset of we know we don't want this to be our last game," Sadiq said. "JMU is a really good team, so we just got to go out there and do our thing."

Remarkably, Oregon's path to making a deep CFP run this year is a lot easier as the No. 5 team compared to last season when they were the No. 1 seed.

The Ducks are currently listed as -21 point favorites to beat the Dukes. ESPN Analytics favors the Ducks by 88 percent over JMU.

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